LAPD rarely enforces illegal fireworks despite hundreds of fires
A CBS News California investigation, using Los Angeles Fire Department and LAPD data, finds that from 2020 to 2025 nearly 3,500 fireworks-related emergency calls and 722 fires — including 226 fires in 2025, multiple destroyed homes and at least one death in Pacoima — resulted in only 12 citations or arrests citywide. Neighbors in Pacoima say they repeatedly warned police for years about specific homes later destroyed by explosions, while LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell admits fireworks calls are treated as low priority and that many aren’t even dispatched, even as newly released body‑camera footage shows fireworks used as weapons against officers and 26 officers sidelined by fireworks injuries. The report contrasts LAPD’s record with Riverside’s drone‑based enforcement program, which issued 65 citations in its first year by documenting fireworks violations from the air.
📌 Key Facts
- LAFD data show 226 fireworks-related fires in Los Angeles in 2025 and 722 such fires from 2020–2025, tied to nearly 3,500 emergency calls.
- Across that five-year span LAPD issued citations or made arrests only 12 times for fireworks offenses, despite thousands of 911 calls.
- Neighbors made more than 90 fireworks-related 911 calls about one Remington Avenue house and dozens of calls about another Pacoima home that later exploded or burned, killing one person and critically injuring another.
- LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledges that many fireworks calls are not dispatched and that the department has long treated them as low priority, even as he says the policy must change.
- Body‑camera footage shows fireworks being fired directly at LAPD officers during an immigration rally and used to booby‑trap barricades, with McDonnell saying 26 officers have been put out of action due to fireworks injuries.
- Riverside Police report issuing 65 fireworks citations in the first year of a drone-based enforcement program, five times LAPD’s fireworks citations over five years.
📊 Relevant Data
Pacoima, a neighborhood in Los Angeles highlighted for multiple fireworks-related fires, has a population that is approximately 88.3% Hispanic, 4.3% Asian, and smaller percentages of other groups, with Hispanics making up about 48.1% of the population when considering Latino origin across races.
Race, Diversity, and Ethnicity in Pacoima, CA — BestNeighborhood.org
In the Los Angeles County PUMA including Pacoima and surrounding areas, Other (Hispanic) residents number 53,400, making them the largest ethnic group at 1.34 times more than White (Hispanic) residents as of 2023, reflecting significant Hispanic concentration in these neighborhoods affected by fireworks incidents.
Los Angeles County--LA (North Central/Arleta & Pacoima) & San Fernando Cities PUMA, CA — Data USA
Fireworks use is a cultural feature of celebrations in Latin/Hispanic communities, with traditions from countries like Mexico where fireworks signify vibrant cultural identity and are used in events such as Independence Day, street parties, and other festivities.
Why are fireworks so closely tied to Mexican identity and celebration? — Mexicada
Many immigrant Angelenos, particularly from cultures where DIY fireworks are common, contribute to widespread use in Los Angeles due to proximity to areas where fireworks are cheap and legal, exacerbating enforcement challenges.
Fireworks are out of control in L.A. Here are 5 things experts wish you knew — Los Angeles Times
Race and ethnicity are the leading predictors of July 4th-related air pollution from fireworks in southern California, with higher PM2.5 concentrations in areas with larger non-White populations, indicating disparities in fireworks activity by demographic composition.
Low police enforcement on illegal fireworks in Los Angeles is attributed to limited resources, the high volume of calls overwhelming dispatch, and the availability of fireworks from nearby areas with differing laws, making comprehensive response difficult.
Illegal fireworks problem — LAist
Cities in southern California where street-level fireworks are legal experience approximately 47.3% higher PM2.5 concentrations on July 4th compared to cities where they are illegal, with race/ethnicity further influencing these levels across neighborhoods.